Knack 2 Review Roundup

After a demo went live last week, Knack 2 is here. The original Knack wasn't critically acclaimed, but designer Mark Cerny said in 2014 that he believes there was still a lot of room to work in the Knack world.

Following a leak, the sequel was eventually revealed at Sony's own PSX event last year. It adds co-op play for the entire campaign and comes at a budget price, and it's out today in North America (launching in Europe and Australia tomorrow, September 6).

With the game now available, reviews have started to go live for the PS4 exclusive. Overall, most critics seem to agree Knack 2 is an improvement over the original--our critic said the sequel contains a "more realized version of Knack as a character, and the wonderfully weird world he inhabits." For more, check out our full Knack 2 review.

For a wider view on critical opinion, you can see a review roundup below. Alternatively, take a look at GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Knack 2
• Developer / Publisher: Sony Japan Studio / Sony
• Platform: PlayStation 4
• Release: Out now
• Price: US $40 / £30 / AU $55

GameSpot -- 7/10

"Knack 2 is definitely a holdover from the past, but it manages to surprise with varied combat and the pleasing back and forth between big and little Knack. Where the original game felt, frankly, like a launch title meant to show off the power of a new system, Knack 2 is a more realized version of Knack as a character, and the wonderfully weird world he inhabits." -- Jason D'Aprile [Full review]

Polygon -- 7.5/10

"Knack 2 is an entertaining platform game like those of yesteryear. It's been created with due care and attention. Sure, it's old fashioned, and its story is appalling. But it's a reminder that the character-led platform combat game is still alive and well. Despite its good looks, it's more a work of engineering than it is a work of art. But, as my kid said to me after we'd mashed our way through a co-op level, it's kinda fun." -- Colin Campbell [Full review]

IGN -- 7.2/10

"Knack 2 is lacking in a number of areas, but its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The pacing is spot-on, the combat satisfying, and the gameplay varied. Co-op is genuinely good fun too, and most definitely the best way for younger gamers to get into the action. Knack 2 is definitely a step up from the original, then, but until the writing and characterisation improve drastically, it's not going to be a true first-party titan." -- Cam Shea [Full review]

Destructoid -- 5.5/10

"Knack 2 has the bones of a good platformer and a hint of charm but it just doesn't execute. I'm not sure what the Knack series attempted to accomplish, but after a sequel, it stands as one of the most missable franchises Sony has ever crafted. Maybe one day Sony can combine both of these together on the PS5 as a free PS Plus item and call it the 'Knack Pack.' That one's free." -- Chris Carter [Full review]

GamesRadar+ -- 3/5

"Ultimately the game's appeal boils down to one simple question: did you like the first Knack? If you did, then rejoice, because this is basically the same experience with a new plot and a few new features thrown in. Anyone who wasn't already a fan of this franchise will find absolutely nothing to convince them to part with their money this time round." -- Nick Cowen [Full review]

VentureBeat -- 80/100

"The comfort is that the story barely takes up any time. Dialogue sequences never drag on for long before you’re thrust back into running a gauntlet of traps and evil robots. The action is still so fundamentally joyful that it doesn't really matter what the context for it is. Why can Knack absorb some materials and not others? Why is it okay for the humans to be generally awful to goblins? Who hid a treasure inside an air duct of the museum? Who cares? Jump across a moving lift in the middle of a jungle already. Don't worry about it. That casual flow lets the essential video gameness of Knack 2 to shine. Even the hoariest tropes feel good in Knack 2. I had to push boxes around a room to open a locked door like I would have had to do in some budget mascot machine from 1997, but here it still felt just right.

"In the absence of an epic tale, a torrent of doodads to collect, or some time-devouring crafting system--all the fixtures big business gaming says you need to survive today--Knack 2 just works." -- John Agnello [Full review]